


A Reason to Laugh

by ticklishraspberries



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Gen, Platonic Losers, Poly!Losers, Tickling, playful
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-30
Updated: 2018-09-30
Packaged: 2019-07-20 19:50:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16144289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ticklishraspberries/pseuds/ticklishraspberries
Summary: Richie needs a reason to laugh, but doesn’t know how to ask for it.





	A Reason to Laugh

Richie hated to admit that sometimes, he needed a reason to laugh.

His own corny jokes weren’t really enough, and the other losers were pretty damn funny too, but he needed to really laugh. Uncontrollable, wheezing, tears-in-the-eyes, breathless, hysterical laughter. It was the purest form of a high Richie could imagine, and he loved it.

Especially after a rough day, he could use it more than ever.

The losers were gathered at the quarry, sitting on logs in a circle, chatting about their days, and Richie sprawled himself across Stan’s lap. Interjecting sassy and crude comments, interrupting, being his usual playful, annoying self…And yet no reaction from his friends.

By that point they would have least yelled out a fond, “beep beep, Richie!”, but there was nothing.

He huffed audibly, making Stan give him an odd look. “What’s wrong with you, Rich?”

“The usual, Staniel. Plagued by my own impeccable sense of humor and perfect looks,” Richie replied.

“I’m surprised you know what impeccable means,” Stan replied, but his smirk revealed he was only joking. Richie actually got the best grades out of the losers, he just wasn’t very smart when it came to common sense.

“You wound me, Stan the Man,” Richie pouted, poking the other boy in the stomach.

Stan smacked his hand away with a barely audible squeak of laughter.

Nobody even paid the little interaction any mind; Bev was helping Bill with an English assignment, while Eddie, Mike, and Ben exchanged stories about one of their weirder teachers. Richie’s not-so-subtle attempts for attention were falling flat, and he trusted Stan just enough to do it, so…With another sigh, and cheeks already resigning to turn red, Richie reached for Stan’s wrist gently, pulling his hand over and placing it against his own stomach, averting his eyes from Stan’s. Despite that, he could feel his friend’s expression change from confusion to a knowing grin, before fingers were dancing over his stomach.

Laughter came spilling from his mouth like water, catching the attention of the other five.

“W-What did he do now?” Bill asked with a fond smile.

“Oh, nothing,” Stan replied. “Just felt like it.”

Richie was grateful that he didn’t tell the others what he’d done, though he was sure they were all onto him and his little liking of the whole thing, but whatever. That could be a conversation for another day. In that moment, all he wanted was to laugh.

And laugh he did.

They rarely all ganged up on him, fearing that they’d go overboard and overwhelm him, but they’d often take turns poking and prodding at him until he apologized for a stupid comment or admitted to some stupid prank.

But this had no rhyme or reason to it. He just needed to let go, and they were all more than happy to help.

Stan mainly focused on keeping him from knocking his head on the log, holding him in place while the others targeted his neck, ribs, and knees, making a mix of snorts and squeals burst from his lips.

And though Richie hated to admit it, he was glad he managed to ask Stan. Well, not verbally. He would have to work on that, probably. Mostly, he was just glad for Stan. And the other losers, of course.

He was just happy.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!  
> Feedback is always appreciated!  
> Tumblr: ticklishraspberries.tumblr.com  
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